Introduction to Morpheus8 Ruined My Skin
Getting aesthetic treatments can be exciting, but also nerve-wracking. You put your trust in the provider and hope for good results. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. I learned this the hard way when I got Morpheus8 treatment that completely ruined my skin.
What is Morpheus8?
Morpheus8 is a relatively new skin treatment that uses radiofrequency microneedling to help improve signs of aging and skin imperfections like acne scarring. Tiny needles create tiny wounds in the skin that stimulate collagen production. Radiofrequency heat is also delivered into the skin through the needles to help tighten and contour.
Morpheus8 is touted as a way to:
- Smooth fine lines and wrinkles
- Tighten and contour the face and body
- Improve texture and pore size
- Reduce acne scars
It’s a minimally invasive treatment with little downtime, which makes it appealing to those who want skincare results without much disruption to their lives. While it certainly works for many people, I unfortunately had a terrible experience.
Why I Got Morpheus8
I’m in my late 30s and have noticed my skin starting to show signs of aging over the last few years. I have mild forehead lines, nasolabial folds, and some volume loss in my cheeks. As a busy mom, I don’t have time for a prolonged recovery from a facelift or laser resurfacing.
When I learned about Morpheus8, it seemed like the perfect solution. The results looked impressive and the short recovery time fit my lifestyle. I hoped it could turn back the clock a bit and give my face a fresher, more youthful look.
I made a consultation with an experienced esthetician at a respected med spa in my area. She agreed that I was a good candidate for Morpheus8 and explained how it could improve some of my problem areas. We booked my first treatment session for the following month.
The Nightmare Begins
The day of my first Morpheus8 session arrived. I was excited to see the results but also a bit anxious. The esthetician applied a numbing cream first so I wouldn’t feel the microneedling. As she started the treatment, I did feel some pinching and heat sensations, but it wasn’t unbearable.
In the next couple of days, my face became red, puffy, and extremely sensitive, which I expected as part of the normal healing process. But after about a week, it was clear this was much worse than normal post-treatment swelling.
My face was hot to the touch and looked badly burned. My skin was rough, bumpy, and oozing fluid in some areas. It stung badly whenever I washed or moisturized. I had crusty scabs across my cheeks and forehead. My face throbbed in pain if I so much as grimaced or talked too much.
Needless to say, I was panicked. This was far beyond normal healing. At my one-week follow-up, the esthetician seemed shocked at the state of my skin. She admitted she had never seen this type of reaction before.
Road to Recovery
What followed were three agonizing months of my skin very slowly trying to repair and heal itself. My face stayed beet red, swollen, and agonizingly painful for weeks. I had to take two entire weeks off work because I was so self-conscious about going out in public. Forget social events or school functions – I became a hermit until I could finally see some improvement.
The esthetician felt terrible and offered several free treatments like microneedling and PRP at no charge to try to speed up healing. Unfortunately, these seemed to irritate my skin even more. My dermatologist said all we could do was wait it out, keep moisturizing, and avoid anything that could further traumatize the skin.
Ever so gradually, the burning and stinging became less intense. The swelling, redness, and scabs slowly gave way to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. I saw minor improvements as the weeks passed, but my skin was left permanently scarred.
The textured irregularity and discoloration remained for many more months. I continued with treatments to address the scarring and pigmentation issues such as chemical peels and laser genesis. After an agonizing year-long journey, my skin finally began to look somewhat normal again, although signs of damage remain.
My Morpheus8 Experience
Getting Morpheus8 was one of the worst decisions I’ve made for my skin. What was supposed to rejuvenate my face destroyed it for many months. While most people see great results from this treatment, I suffered a rare traumatic complication that my esthetician had never encountered before.
So what went wrong? It’s possible this was an allergic reaction or that the settings were too aggressive for my skin type. Maybe there was a problem with equipment calibration or contamination from insufficient disinfection. I trusted my esthetician’s expertise and experience, so I don’t think improper technique was the issue.
Unfortunately, I’ll never know the exact reason for such a horrific response. The bottom line is, that even skilled injectors can run into unexpected problems with these cosmetic treatments. And patients have to weigh the risks versus rewards with something new like Morpheus8 since long-term data isn’t available yet.
My Advice
I still have visible scarring one year later, but I’m slowly coming to terms with it. As I continue treating the damage, I’m optimistic my skin will improve bit by bit. My experience hasn’t necessarily scared me off aesthetic treatments for good. However, I will be far more cautious in the future.
If you’re considering Morpheus8 or any similar treatment, I urge you to research the provider’s experience and qualifications. Ask to see before and after photos of past patients to get a sense of their results. Give yourself time to weigh the risks and potential complications versus the rewards. Realize that your skin may not react the way most people do.
I also advise asking your provider many questions beforehand about what settings they’ll use, your skin type suitability, what side effects to expect, and what they’ll do if you have a rare complication like mine. Make sure you’re comfortable with their responses before proceeding.
Finally
remember there is no guarantee with cosmetic treatments. Sometimes our pursuit of beauty backfires. Your natural skin with a few flaws is better than damaged skin from a treatment gone wrong.
As for me, I’m taking a long rest from aesthetic procedures while my skin continues to heal. My Morpheus8 nightmare taught me to appreciate my natural skin more, imperfections and all. While I hope others have good experiences with this technology, it’s not for everyone. I don’t want anyone else to suffer the months of painful recovery I endured.
If Morpheus8 is on your cosmetic treatment wish list, please learn from what happened to me. Make sure you’re an ideal candidate and proceed with extreme caution to avoid short-term trauma and long-term damage like I sustained. When used properly on suitable skin, I’m sure Morpheus8 can work wonders. But this technology in the wrong hands on the wrong skin type can wreak havoc on your face, as it did mine. My one piece of advice – know the risks before you leap.